Buckeyes remain near top of AP Poll ahead of Big Ten, road opener
COLUMBUS — Ohio State destroyed all three of its nonconference opponents to open the regular season. The competition was no stiff at all, but the Buckeyes took care of business.
Now they head into conference play with plenty of confidence and the same sky-high expectations they had entering the season.
The folks in the media still think Ohio State is one of the three best teams in the country entering Big Ten action, and they showed that yet again this week. The Buckeyes are No. 3 in the latest poll, staying put in the third spot behind top-ranked Texas and Georgia.
Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Miami (FL), Oregon, Penn State and Utah rounded out the top 10.
The Big Ten has a pair of notable moves in the latest poll. Michigan moved up to No. 12 in the ranking after its thrilling last-minute home win over No. 13 USC. After going on the road to face then-ranked Nebraska on Friday night, undefeated Illinois slid up to No. 19 in the rankings.
As for the Buckeyes, they just haven’t been tested yet. And they know that. But they do know this defense is legit — despite its slow start on Saturday — and the offense is slowly forming its identity as one of college football’s premier offensive attacks.
“What you’re seeing is an identity that is slowly getting molded here,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “We’re explosive on the perimeter. … We’re trying to stretch the field vertically. Once you do that and you start running the ball the way our running backs are running, the way our O-line is really growing, I think Donovan [Jackson] being back in there helped a lot. And I think the running backs ran really hard.
“… Chip called a good game. Good balance across the board. Bigger challenges ahead, we’re heading into conference play. But the identity is starting to build. That running game is starting to build an identity and some confidence.”
With three easy games under their belts, the Buckeyes will now hit the road for the first time this season — and face a primetime test at Michigan State. They’ll do so as the No. 3 team in the sport.
The full AP Poll can be found below. First-place votes are in parenthesis.
AP Poll (Sept. 15)
1. Texas (44)
2. Georgia (13)
3. Ohio State (5)
4. Alabama
5. Tennessee
6. Ole Miss
7. Miami (FL)
8. Oregon
9. Penn State
10. Utah
11. Missouri
12. Michigan
13. USC
14. LSU
15. Louisville
16. Notre Dame
17. Clemson
18. Iowa State
19. Illinois
20. Oklahoma State
21. Oklahoma
22. BYU
23. Kansas State
24. Texas A&M
25. Boise State
